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A terrible
tragedy |
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Independent,
not vibrant Animals
on prowl
The
awakening of Egypt
The
ghost that made my career
CINEMA:
NEW Releases
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Independent, not vibrant
India
celebrated its 67th Independence Day and the Prime Minister, in his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, was right in stressing on the nation's deep commitment to secularism and the need to build a progressive, modern India. He, however, also dwelt on some of the tribulations that the country has faced - the floods and the tragedy in Uttarakhand, the loss of the submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, and the death of schoolchildren after eating a mid-day meal in Bihar. The UPA has had a tough year and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is right in acknowledging that "the journey is long and a large distance still remains to be travelled." Some of the reforms that the UPA government could have cited as a success have not been implemented. While children are being imparted education, the education system needs to be reformed. High food grain production has not translated into the alleviation of hunger. Even the much-touted Food Security Bill has not yet been passed in Parliament. As an economist, the Prime Minister knows all too well that the growth rate has come down and the fiscal health of the nation has weakened considerably over the past year. There is no doubt that "rapid economic growth is an imperative for our country," as he acknowledged in his address, but it is for his government to take the necessary steps and deliver to the people of India. The nation remains a strong democracy with a far-from-vibrant economy. It has faced challenges from sectarian forces and borne the brunt of Naxal violence and terrorists with cross-border links. The basic fabric of the nation is strong. It is the challenges of a legacy of scams, of large-scale corruption and institutions that have performed below par that have all created a situation where the Independence-Day celebrations lacked the traditional fervour for a nation that is justifiably proud of its Independence. It even clouded some remarkable achievements, including the launch of INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, which has made the nation join the elite club of countries that can make their own aircraft carriers.
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Animals on prowl
The
shooting down of a man-eating leopard at Mandi village in Himachal Pradesh has once again brought into focus the urgent need to minimise man-animal conflict. The man-animal faceoff is neither a new phenomenon nor confined to any one particular region. In Jammu and Kashmir, where 195 lives have been lost to wild animals in the last seven years, at least two or more conflicts were reported on a daily basis. Shrinking habitats, depletion of the natural prey base, changing crop patterns, suitability of man modified habitats to wild animals, presence of stray dogs and cattle in forest fringe areas are some of the factors that have forced the flight of animals into human zones. The relationship of man with wild animals, particularly with the spotted cat, is indeed becoming more and more antagonistic. In the recent times, the rise in human losses due to animal attacks has alarmed the Environment Ministry. Besides, there have been reports of leopard deaths at the hands of villagers in various parts of the country. Leopards are being lost repeatedly to poaching and conflicts with humans. In 2011 alone, 358 leopards were lost, of which 52 per cent were believed to have died due to human interference. Many leopard deaths were recorded in Uttarakhand. Human intrusion is rightly thought to be the reason behind the increasing number of leopard attacks. However, a study conducted in Western Maharashtra found a number of leopards in human habitats peacefully sharing the human space. Thus conservationists who argue for protected areas have to think of new strategies for the conservation of wildlife. Monitoring mechanisms have to keep the interests of both animals and humans in mind and must be environment-centric. While campaigns must stress on dos and don'ts to help people, especially those living in buffer areas, majestic animals like leopards can't be driven to extinction.
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A smile is a facelift that's in everyone's price range! — Tom Wilson
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The awakening of Egypt The
bloodbath on the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities is the culmination of a process in which the Army-sponsored civilian dispensation and the outraged supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Morsi had boxed themselves in. With Morsi held incommunicado and his supporters taking to large sit-ins in two locations in Cairo for over a month, something had to give. The Army chief, General Al Sisi, would sue for peace only on his own terms. Thus Egypt, the traditional pivot and most populous country of the Arab world, finds itself as an object lesson of how the Arab Spring has been transformed into a struggle for Egypt's soul and the larger Arab struggle of reconciling decades of arbitrary, often military-backed, rule with the awakening of peoples divided by Islamist urges colliding with a more secular outlook. Ever since Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel under US sponsorship, it became entitled to an annual American subvention of $1.3 billion for its military. And even as the long Hosni Mubarak era yielded place to a temporary military rule followed by landmark elections leading to the first free election and the coming to power of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, the weight of history was too heavy for Morsi to bear. He misread the verdict in which he was pitted against an old Mubarak crony as a mandate for transforming Egypt into an Islamist state. Even as the Gulf monarchies watched the spreading fire of Arab Spring with alarm, the arrival of the first elected Muslim Brotherhood president was viewed as a catastrophe. They minded their home fences as they saw how he was seeking to transform his country into an Islamist state seeking to monopolise power for his supporters. Having been persecuted for much of its 85-year history, Morsi and his mentors were greedy to grab power with both hands. The fallacy of the anti-Brotherhood constituents - representing half the country's population - was that the Army could be a benign game changer in the country's turmoil. In the popular imagination, the Army was suddenly transformed from the devil as it was perceived in the Mubarak era to angels fighting on the side of the people against an oppressive Islamist regime. The Army, of course, obliged and while hiding behind a civilian dispensation and announcing a nine-month plan for new elections and a constitution, strengthened its grip on power, most recently by appointing 19 Generals as Governors of Egypt's provinces. The question the world is asking is: What next? It is nobody's case that the revolutionary changes that have taken place in the Middle East and North Africa (more precise terms than West Asia) after generations of autocratic regimes would follow a straight upward curve. For one thing, autocracies usually came in a secular garb and the natural Islamist leanings of large sections of populations were suppressed. Second, the awakening and new empowerment of peoples brought to the fore the Shia-Sunni divide and a new anti-minorities thrust have brought ugly and disturbing trends to the fore. Taken together with the influence of outside powers, it has become a witches' brew. American interest in pampering the Egyptian Army with an estimated more than $60 billion of aid to keep Israel safe is a given. But the alacrity with which the Gulf monarchies greeted the fall of Morsi with an aid chest of $12 billion while it was struggling to fulfil the terms of a $4.6 billion International Monetary Fund package, which it has put on the back burner, tells its own story. Earlier, oil- and gas-rich Qatar had given Morsi some $ 6 billion. Thoughtful Egyptians are concerned that their country has become something of a synonym for a nation constantly living on foreign subventions because of its traditional weight in the Arab world as a trend-setter and in more recent times as an essential prop for Israel's security. In immediate terms, there is no escape because the last two years' turmoil has made the economic situation even more parlous. Ever since it was founded in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood has become something of a lodestar to Islamist movements in the Arab world. Empowered for the first time in Egypt's history, it became even more of an inspiration. Its fumbles in its one-year rule thus became even more catastrophic as extremist groups loosely described as Al Qaeda made their presence felt after the American counter-offensive following the 9/11 catastrophic attacks on the US. More broadly, the Arabs and the Muslim world in general are struggling to define their religious beliefs in the democratic context, not counting the extreme sections that believe that the two are incompatible. On the other hand, growing numbers of Muslim populations have become more secular-minded in their outlook and wish to keep their religion as more of a private affair. While the philosophical aspects of these contradictions must await events to bring greater clarity to a divisive phenomenon, Egypt is left holding the baby for the present. Despite American and other foreign entreaties, General Al Sisi and his Army seem inflexible in refusing to offer the olive branch to the Brotherhood. To the contrary, their aim seems to be to strike the Islamists hard. If the Army persists in its misguided objective, which has led to the resignation of the interim Vice-President and former international atomic chief, ElBaradei, it would a recipe for the beginning of a civil war. What the Army forgets is that the Arab world has changed since a street vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire to sweep away military-propped dictatorships across the Middle East and North Africa. The process of change evolving into stable forms of more democratic governments will take time and bloodshed to come to fruition. But the Arab world has proclaimed that it is no longer immune to the winds of change that have wafted other parts of the world. It is no longer the singular exception to the rule that has empowered nations and peoples across diverse parts of the
world.
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The ghost that made my career It
goes back to 1971. I was in a tearing need of a job to complete my M.A. I entered the gate of a mill and requested to the Manager: "Sir, I need a job -- any kind. I want to do M.A. in English" The Manager looked at me top to bottom. "You want any kind of job?" he asked. He had three children, wanted them to study hard and become officers. But, all had proved rotten eggs. The daughter eloped with the driver of her own car. The elder son turned a drug addict and died. The younger son was nabbed stealing. None could do graduation. He
said, "Young man, I can give you the job of a night watchman with a monthly salary of Rs 1,500". Suddenly, the tone of the Manager turned hoarse. "There is a condition tagged to your job. Don't know how to put it". "Twenty years ago we had a watchman, Nathu", he continued. "He suffered from hallucinations. He said he saw a ghost in the mill at night. It did not harm one who kept awake till 3 a.m. After that it would disappear. "It is quite a workable preposition for you. Even if what Nathu said were true, the ghost did not harm anyone. Stay awake and study every night till 3 am and make your career." No obstacles could deter me. But this night watchman's job in the company with a ghost was unnerving! I was terribly afraid of dying at the hands of a ghost in the prime of youth. The Manager said, "Don't worry! First week I will stay with you in the mill. In nine cases out of ten this ghost story appears to be totally false. It is just a fancy of watchman Nathu." After four days I told the Manager to go home. I started studying till 3 am every night. I honestly confess that it was partly because of my deep-seated love for my career and partly the fear of the ghost that kept me awake and studying. The Manager kept coming to the mill to check whether I was studying. Two years passed. I never saw the ghost. On the other hand, I got a good division and my landed the job of a teacher. I went into hibernation for a month. I wanted to go to the Manager with my first salary, shed tears of gratitude and say, "You are an angel! Though I was a stranger to you, you adopted me as a son." I reached the mill. At the entrance I was told that "the Manager got a better job and left for Australia. However, he left a letter for me. It read: "Dear son, I did nothing for you. God marches with the determined armies. I just want to tell you a secret. The ghost story was my invention. I wanted you to study hard till 3 every morning and realise your dreams. You can check the records of the mill. No Nathu ever worked here!" He got through me the contentment which had been denied to him by his own
children.
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CINEMA: NEW Releases
No more, once more
When
a film screams loud and clear dobaara (in its title) you expect some degree of repetition. Moreso, when the director of the sequel is the same. First the good news. The sequel to Once Upon a Time in Mumbai with a dobaara addendum affixed and an 'a' spelt as ay (lest you had forgotten producer Ekta Kapoor's penchant for numerology and twisted names) is not like the first film. Except that there is a don and his protégé. But here is the bad news, by the time the film ends you so wish it were. At best the film runs on the surface level and nowhere except for very briefly in the beginning does it walk the razors edge. Strange, for no shade is better than grey to flesh out the personas of men, lording over underworld, with bounce and substance. Here, despite a real star Akshay Kumar taking the lead they are limpid sans spark. The prequel had it right and got the essence of its lead characters even the way they romanced (remember the gifts including a bottle of whiskey that Emraan Hashmi gives to his beloved Prachi Desai) their women right. Yet, here none of the characters, be it the reigning don Shoaib (Akshay Kumar) or his blue eyed loyalist Aslam (Imran Khan) have any nuances or layers. No wonder none grow on you. They are neither lovable nor repugnant. Certainly not Akshay Kumar who despite the sunglasses (we know which don they are alluding to) is far from dreadful. Depicted as a man who loves to flaunt his villainy, armed with some punch lines, mostly inane, a few pungent, you don't know whether to abhor him or sympathise with him and end up doing neither. As he puts it “Pehchaan bura maan jaayegi…..” we are offended for sure by his lame negativity. No wonder the heroine is not a wee bit scared of him and acts cheeky. Of course, Sonakshi Sinha as Jasmine, a simpleton from Kashmir, a little lost in Mumbai makes an endearing entry. Some of the humour, her interaction with male leads generates, is enjoyable too. But by the time the film climaxes her screeching and moralising puts the final nail in the coffin. Whose, we will not tell you (there are no prizes for guessing it right) but the film's for sure. As for dear Aslam, we mean Imran Khan…. despite his melting eyes and song and dance (there is a new rendition of the good old Tayyab Ali pyar ka dushman on offer too) he makes no mark whatsoever. Neither as a lover boy nor as the goonda of Mumbai... he looks more like a tapori. To give the devil, in this case Akshay Kumar trying desperately to get his shaitan look right, his due, the first half is still watchable. But post interval the film continues to falls into a deep abyss and becomes painfully laboured. Its long length of over two hours and forty minutes makes it doubly infuriating. The music by Pritam, who has in recent times given us many chartbusters, is as uninspiring as the film. Adult jokes, action galore…. nothing is a saving grace. Dobara once more… god forbid how you pray Bollywood's obsession with underworld dons and the D-man would end with this one. Need we add, save your money, this one is certainly avoidable.
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Movies to be released
Shuddh Desi Romance Mickey Virus
Grand Masti
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Movies on TV Saturday august 17 Love Aaj Kal Love Aaj Kal is a Bollywood film starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles with Rahul Khanna, Rishi Kapoor and Giselli Monteiro in supporting roles. The film is directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Saif Ali Khan and Dinesh Vijan. The film portrays the feeling of pure love which never
changes over time, although the perspective of realising one's soulmate has changed over time. ZEE CINEMA 7:29AM Ghatak: The Destroyer 10:28AM Jungle: The Battleground 1:44PM Mr. India 5:27PM Mujhse Shaadi Karogi 9:00PM Anokha Jaanwar INDIA TALKIES 9:30AM Love Aaj Kal 1:00PM Aladin 4:30PM Black & White 8:00PM Dillagii ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM Starship Troopers 3: Marauder 10:10AM Bedtime Stories 1:00PM Back to the Future Part II 3:30PM Ladder 49 6:00PM Deep Rising 8:25PM Six Days Seven Nights 10:30PM The Lion King STAR MOVIES 8:56AM The Front Row with Anupama Chopra 9:26AM Death Race 11:37AM Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1:52PM The Bourne Legacy 4:05PM Colombiana 6:15PM Independence Day 9:00PM Battleship 11:28PM Johnny English MOVIES OK 9:35AM Aashiqui 12:45PM Kunwara 3:15PM Judwaa No.1 5:50PM Duplicate 9:00PM Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham STAR GOLD 8:10AM Dilwale 11:25AM Khatta Meetha 2:35PM Dhadkan 5:35PM Bhagam Bhag 9:00PM Makkhi 11:35PM Bajrang: The He Man FILMY 9:00AM Phir Milenge 12:00PM Vishwanath 3:00PM Devdas 6:00PM Kala Sona ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Ek Aur Mohra 10:30AM Champion: The Winner 1:30PM Heeralal Pannalal 5:30PM Nagin Ka Inteqam 8:30PM Ek Aur Vinashak SONY PIX 8:40AM Redline 10:38AM Shrek the Third 12:28PM Rocky II 2:33PM Robocop 2 4:46PM The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D 6:50PM The Forbidden Kingdom 9:00PM Hancock 11:00PM Men in Black 3 Sunday august 18 Men in Black 3 is an American 3D
science fiction comedy film and stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. This is the second
sequel and came after Men in Black II. Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones play undercover agents in the film. ZEE CINEMA 10:40AM Yamlok 1:40PM Hum Saath Saath Hain 5:25PM Vivah 9:00PM Dhamaal INDIA TALKIES 9:30AM Dillagii 1:00PM Sunday 4:30PM Paatshala 8:00PM Salaam-E-Ishq ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM Confessions of a Shopaholic 10:20AM Six Days Seven Nights 1:00PM Tron: Legacy 3:40PM Back to the Future Part II 6:00PM The Lion King 7:45PM Red Dragon 10:30PM 101 Dalmatians STAR MOVIES 7:07AM Rise of the Planet of the Apes 9:17AM The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 11:30AM X-Men Origins: Wolverine 1:16PM Battleship 3:47PM Terminator 2: Judgment Day 6:28PM You Pick the Flick
9:00PM Death Race MOVIES OK 8:40AM Chillar Party 11:35AM De Dana Dan 3:15PM Kaalo 5:00PM Waqt 9:00PM Ek Tha Soldier 11:55PM Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao STAR GOLD 9:50AM Ramayana: The Epic 12:00PM Jeene Nahi Doonga 3:05PM Akhiyon Se Goli Maare 5:55PM House Full 9:00PM Dangerous Khiladi 11:45PM Mera Krodh FILMY 9:00AM Pataal Bhairavi 12:00PM Chachi 420 3:00PM Zalzala 6:00PM Chori Chori Chupke Chupke 9:00PM Ab Insaf Hoga ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Anyay Hi Anyay 10:30AM Nirbhay The Fighter 1:30PM Prem Qaidi 5:30PM Dhartiputra 8:30PM Prithvi SONY PIX 7:27AM Watchmen 10:28AM The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D 12:30PM The Forbidden Kingdom 2:24PM Men in Black 3
4:18PM Hancock 6:20PM Angels & Demons 9:00PM Original Sin 11:15PM Paranormal Activity
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In fact, come to think of it — this is no gangster film really. More like a love triangle involving two men from the world of underworld. Nothing wrong with that. Granted dons, yes unabashed womanisers too, have emotions and can certainly fall in love. Only when a triangle is based in the world of blood, violence and action one would expect the edges to be jagged and the tension bristling. Alas, nothing of the sort marks the film that is neither about heightened rivalries nor about deep emotions of love and loyalty.
Shuddh Desi Romance is a romantic comedy film directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra. The film features Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra and newcomer Vaani Kapoor in leading roles. The film will release on September 6, 2013. Shuddh Desi Romance is a fresh rom-com about the hair-raising minefield between love, attraction and commitment. The movie is based in today's modern yet desi heartland. Sushant Singh Rajput plays the role of a casual "Boy-next-door" Raghu and Parineeti Chopra plays the bold role of Gayatri, his lover.
Mickey Virus is an upcoming Hindi comedy film written & directed by Saurabh Varma. The film features Manish Paul, Elli Avram, Manish Choudhary (Bombay Velvet, Rocket Singh, Jannat2), Puja Gupta (The quirky neighbor of Vicky Donor) and Varun Badola as main characters. The film releases September 13. Mickey Virus is a comic thriller set in Delhi, India. When Delhi Police comes across a case revolving around hacking, they begin the search to find a computer hacker who can help them crack this case. The head of the police team ACP Siddhanth (Manish Choudhary), stumbles across Mickey Arora (Manish Paul), a lazy but street smart hacker who can actually help them solve the case.
Grand Masti is an upcoming Bollywood adult comedy film presented by Bharat Shah, directed by Indra Kumar and produced by Ashok Thakeria. The film is a sequel to the 2004 hit, Masti, and will feature Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani and Riteish Deshmukh reprising their roles from the original, along with Bruna Abdullah, Karishma Tanna, Sonalee Kulkarni,Kainaat Arora, Maryam Zakaria and Manjari Fadnis amongst others. Grand Masti is expected to release on September 13, 2013. Three married guys Vivek Oberoi as Meet,Aftab Shivdasani as Prem and Riteish Deshmukh as Amar go out on fun experience in their college reunion in Shree Lalchand University of Technology and Science(SLUTS),finally to be trapped in a danger.
INDIA TALKIES 9:30AM
Men in Black 3